Porsche Plans Fuel Cell And Battery-Powered Sedans

Going against the recent norm, it seems that two of Porsche’s upcoming models will feature atypical means of propulsion, both using electricity but from two different power sources. The models were teased at a recent media presentation headed by Ulrich Hackenberg, Volkswagen’s Group’s R&D chief, which included Porsche’s, Audi’s and Volkswagen’s upcoming "stages of electrification."

Both models are expected to be sedans, albeit probably smaller than the Panamera. Although details are scarce at the moment, it seems that the first one will be a standard battery-powered electric sedan in the same vein as the Tesla Model S. Further up the ladder, the second electric sedan will get its juice not from a battery, but an on-board fuel cell. As some of you know, fuel-cell technology has appeared more and more on Volkswagen Group’s radar in recent years, with Audi exhibiting the A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro Concept, and recently buying a Canadian company’s fuel-cell patents for $80 million.

Oddly enough, the Volkswagen Group is among the slowest to jump on the fuel-cell bandwagon, with automakers like Daimler and Honda having worked on similar technology for years. Nevertheless, Porsche is not new to electric cars; the company’s founding father developed electric and hybrid vehicles as early as 1899, long before Porsche was founded. Currently there is no ETA for the planned electric sedans, nor any other details about the subject, but a pre-2020 launch is likely.

Continue reading to learn more about Porsche’s future electric plans.

Why it matters

There have been countless rumors surrounding Porsche’s addition of a second sedan in its lineup, but none of them mentioned electric motors and/or fuel-cell technology. Soon after Porsche unveiled the Panamera, there were talks about a smaller sedan to complement the lineup, but the plans were postponed. Internally nicknamed the Pajun (from Panamera Junior, ed), the model was supposed to be to the Panamera what the Macan is to the Cayenne.

With the new battery and fuel-cell information coming out of the blue, it would seem that the Pajun will be offered in both electric versions, which are to take on the Tesla Model S in their own ways. Most details about Porsche’s first production electric cars remain shrouded in mystery, but it is expected that the cars will use a second generation of the modular platform underpinning the Panamera.